You Need To Eat This: Arts Fest Lobster Burger

The final weekend of the Three Rivers Arts Festival is wrapping up, but there's still time to try the delicious grub.

I just have to say I love the Arts Fest. There's great music, Pittsburgh Duck T-shirts (this year!) and most importantly, I can walk 2 feet out of my office and access any fried, county-fair variety treat.

This is the time of year I start busting out my fancy work stretchy pants and start my funnel cake and corndog for dinner diet.

There's so much to eat at Point State Park and around Gateway Center, but let's start with the one thing my office has been buzzing about since the beginning: the lobster burger.

I've had many feelings about this burger, but all-in-all it's something you really should try. I will be honest, when I walked over to the booth (it's in Gateway Center between Gateway 1 and the Wyndham) I had reservations about this magic burger.

First off, they just had a bunch of crab cake-like pre-made patties sitting on the grill which concerned me. And when I was handed my burger, sans any topping or dressings, on an unapologetic dry bun, I expected it to be bland.

However, it was quite delicious. Several of my coworkers say it's best with a horseradish-Sriracha blend on top. You have to ask for these condiments though. I didn't realize this when I ordered mine, which is why I was stumped after getting a dry bun and patty.

As for taste, it's very similar to a crab cake, but much creamier with a heavy, but tasty Old Bay spice blend mixed in. Each side of the patty is also grilled to a nice crisp, giving each bite a satisfying crunch.

It's not quite as flaky or fishy as most of the crab cakes either, since it's lobster. I'm not sure if it has cheese mixed in as well, but it definitely has a gooey, cheesy quality to it. In fact, I thought it was just fine without any toppings.

My only reservation: if you're not starving to death, I recommend sharing with a friend. A whole lobster burger was quite heavy on my stomach for the remainder of the night, but well worth it.

If you're not into the lobster burger though, there's plenty of other things to try:

Funnel Cake: Can't go wrong with this classic. The funnel cakes over at Point State Park are standard, but highly delicious.

Corn Dogs: The same stand that sells the lobster burgers has some pretty delicious corn dogs too – and it tends to have a slightly shorter line than some of the other booths.

General Tso's Chicken on a Stick: You can also find this at Point State Park. This is the one thing I've been really eager to try, but the never-ending line has kept me from getting any yet. Since the lines are so long all the time, I think it's safe to say it's a pretty tasty bet.

Hotdogs, Nachos, etc.: A booth right outside of Gateway 1, next to the fountain has your typical hotdog and brats with onions and sauerkraut, as well as nachos and fresh lemonade. Also a pretty good spot if you're trying to avoid the long lines.

And there's so much more down at the park, including sno cones, deep-fried Oreos, pizza, gyros, the list goes on and on.

You tell me, what's your favorite Arts Fest treat?

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